FOI requests submitted to the Minister 2020-2021

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Your email has been received by the Department of Home Affairs Freedom of
Information (FOI) Section.

The FOI section only responds to valid FOI requests and other matters
relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). Visit the
FOI Information on our Website for more information on what [1]information
can be accessed under the FOI Act 1982.

What is a valid FOI request?

A valid FOI request may be for:

- documents you previously provided to the Department as part of a visa
application

- a copy of a decision record made by the Department

- statistical information held by the Department

- papers or briefings the Department prepared.

If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request.

A valid FOI request must:

o Be in writing and state the request is for consideration under the FOI
Act.
o Have enough information for us to be able to identify the documents
you are seeking.
o Provide a physical or electronic address where we can send our
decision.

Do not send duplicate emails as this may cause longer delays in processing
times.

What is an invalid FOI request?

Invalid FOI requests may include:

- Making a visa application

- Seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship

- Seeking information about traveling to or departing Australia.

If your email is not specific an FOI request or FOI related matter, the
FOI section will not respond.

What happens next?

Once we receive and have registered your FOI request, we will send you an
acknowledgment letter by email. Read the acknowledgment letter carefully
for further instructions.

FOI requests are generally processed in the order they are received.

We will contact you as soon as the Department has assessed your request
under the FOI Act.

We’re responding to a large volume of requests

Due to the current high volume of requests, we will not provide progress
up-dates on current FOI requests. This is to ensure we are able to
process as many requests as possible, including yours.

If processing your request is going to take us a lot of time and because
it is large or unspecific, it may be refused.

Still have a question or request?

If you still have a question, which has not been answered above, and which
is about the work of the Department, use our general enquiries web page

[2]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...

You may be able to resolve your enquiry faster using these other resources

We only action and respond to FOI requests that are valid under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982. You may be able to resolve your enquiry
faster by using these resources:

General information about travelling to Australia:

The Department of Home Affairs, “Entering Australia” site
[3]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...

· For visa and our requirements for entry to Australia
[4]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...

For a copy of your visa refusal or visa grant letter you should contact
the office where you lodged your visa application.

· To check your current visa details and conditions use the
Department’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal which can
be accessed [5]here

· If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your
visa application through ImmiAccount, submit your concerns through the
ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, which is accessible [6]here.

· For evidence of your Australian Citizenship please refer [7]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.

· For movement records or travel history complete the online
International Movement Records form [8]here. The FOI Section does not
process these requests.

· To update your details, including your Passport details, you can
notify the Department [9]here. The FOI Section does not process these
requests.

We appreciate your feedback

We appreciate your feedback to help improve our services.

If you would like to provide feedback to us please use our Compliments,
complaints and suggestions form.
[10]https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...

Thank you

Information updated 11 January 2022

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References

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OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 22/08/00824
File Number: OBJ2022/22175

Dear Alex,

Do you require to know the number of FOI requests submitted to the Department in total, or the number of FOI requests submitted directly to the Minister via her Office?

The Department and a Minister’s Office are separate entities under the FOI Act, so we can only report on the number of requests that the Department received.

Please respond by reply email by 23 August 2022.

Kind regards,

FOI Officer - Geoff
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs

E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Cambridge <[FOI #9281 email]>
Sent: 16 August 2022 3:34 PM
To: FOI <[Department of Home Affairs request email]>
Subject: CM: Freedom of Information request - FOI requests submitted to the Minister 2020-2021

Dear Department of Home Affairs,

Following the revelation that former PM Scott Morrison appointed himself to jointly run the home affairs portfolio without ever informing then-minister Karen Andrews, can you please advise:

- during the time Mr Morrison and Ms Andrews ran the portfolio, how many FOI requests were submitted to Ms Andrews in her capactity as your Minister?

- of those requests, how many should also have sought information/documents from Mr Morrison, had it been known that he was joint Minister?

- will the Department be revisiting those requests to ensure compliance with the FOI Act and Guidelines?

I request the above under my rights of the FOI Act.

Yours faithfully,
Alex

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
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Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.

Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this email.

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OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 22/08/00824
File Number: OBJ2022/22175

Dear Alex,

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

This letter acknowledges we received your request on 16 August 2022 to access documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). This letter also provides important information about your request.
Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:
Following the revelation that former PM Scott Morrison appointed himself to jointly run the home affairs portfolio without ever informing then-minister Karen Andrews, can you please advise:

1. during the time Mr Morrison and Ms Andrews ran the portfolio, how many FOI requests were submitted to Ms Andrews in her capactity as your Minister?

2. of those requests, how many should also have sought information/documents from Mr Morrison, had it been known that he was joint Minister?

3. will the Department be revisiting those requests to ensure compliance with the FOI Act and Guidelines?

Please note: The Freedom of Information Act 1982 provides a right to obtain access to 'a document of an agency'. As such, it is not possible for the Department to provide a response to Part 3 of your request under the FOI Act.

Your request was received by the Department on 16 August 2022 and has been allocated FOI request number: FA 22/08/00824

Please include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of Information Section.

Timeframe
The timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the day we receive your request, as set out in the FOI Act.

Your review rights in relation to your request are available on the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Fees and Charges
Charges do not apply to requests from individuals seeking access to documents about themselves. However, a charge may apply to all other requests for access to documents.
Charges are based on the amount of time the Department spends on your request. Charges can range from $10 to over $1,000 depending on the complexity and scope of your request. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reported that across the public service, the average charge notified was $335.50 in 2020-21.
If a charge applies, you will be issued with a Notice of Charge that explains the charge and your options.
Detailed information about FOI charges that may apply to your FOI request is available on the Department’s website.

We do not provide personal details of staff
The Department’s practice is to exclude the personal details of staff not in the Senior Executive Service (SES), as well as the direct contact details of SES staff, contained in documents that fall within scope of an FOI request. If you require personal details of non-SES officers, or direct contact details of SES staff, please inform us so the decision maker may consider your request. Otherwise we will take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of your request. However names of staff that have previously been released in departmental correspondence may be disclosed.

We do not provide duplicated documents
If the FOI decision-maker deems a document to be a duplicate, they will not assess those pages as part of your FOI request. This means that if a there is a decision to release the document to you, you will receive only one copy, even if multiple copies of that document exist.

Released documents you request may be published to our website
Where documents are released to you in response to your request, the Department may be required to publish these documents on its website within 10 working days in accordance with section 11C of the FOI Act. Publication will not be required where the documents contain personal or business affairs information.

How to reduce or withdraw your request
Reducing the scope of your request can reduce the time and charges associated with processing your FOI request.
To reduce or withdraw your request, contact the FOI section at [Department of Home Affairs request email] and include your FOI request number.

Kind regards,

FOI Officer - Geoff
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs

E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive